


Roll of the Dice

by SociallyAwkwardFox



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternative Universe - Dungeons & Dragons, Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fantasy, Fights, Grief/Mourning, Injury, Jealousy, M/M, Major Character Undeath, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 05:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18309143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociallyAwkwardFox/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: He never imagined he would one day find another family to call his own. Not stuffy and proper like the family he'd grown up with, but full of life and love. A family he would do anything for.





	1. Black Eye

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter is a prompt fill for BatFam Bingo 2019. Since I'm writing these as I go, it's possible these chapters will be chronologically out of order. Once the Bingo is over, I'll go back through and reorder the chapters.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Nothing good happens after several long days of travel that ends in a wait at a tavern he never would have willingly entered on his own. When Bruce asked him to join his sons, daughter and her friend on a trip to lands he knew like the back of his hand, this wasn’t the type of establishment he expected to meet them in. While he’d spent time with the eldest and met the youngest, he didn’t have the slightest clue who the other three were. It shouldn’t have surprised him that the peace and relaxation he wanted before meeting them would get ruined by a fight breaking out on his left.

A sudden movement out of the corner of his eye was all the warning he got that someone was about to crash into the bar right where his drink sat. His reflexes were quick enough he managed to save his drink and scoot his bar stool out of the way in time to avoid the muscular body crashing down. There was clear fury growing in the eyes of the man sprawled across the bar, but he wasn’t in the mood to see how the man retaliated against his opponent. When he turned to find a half-orc advancing on its slumped target, he took matters into his own hands by catching their next punch. Their expected glare sent his way got ignored in favor of finishing off his drink because he desperately needed the alcohol.

“I’m sure this person did something awful to offend you, and I wouldn’t normally put a stop to someone else’s fight. However, I’ve been on the road for a week. All I want is a little rest uninterrupted by a fight. Take this somewhere else or I’ll put an end to it. Neither of you will like it if I have to do that.”

Despite expecting the half-orc to drag the person next to him off, they let out a low growl of warning as they moved to return to their friends. After placing his tankard back on the bar, he shifted his attention to the human attempting to burn holes in the half-orc’s back. Even if one eye weren’t swollen shut, the lack of magical aura surrounding him meant he had no hope in succeeding in that effort. He waved the barkeep over for a refill as he let his eyes sweep once more over the tavern for the two faces he’d been searching for since he set foot in the place.

“Did you really have to ruin a good time like that? It’s probably the last chance I’ll have to do this for a while.”

“Not my problem.” As soon as his tankard got refilled, he slid a few extra silver pieces to the barkeep for the prompt services. “If you’re looking for a fight, I’m sure there’s a fighting club around here somewhere. I bet they’ll have someone willing to give you another black eye.”

“For someone that isn’t looking for a fight, you’re mouthy. I’d be careful if I were you.”

“Do you honestly think you’re in the position to be threatening me? I caught the fist your face took a beating from.”

A snarl of annoyance rumbled through the human’s chest as he pushed up to get in his face for some ineffective intimidation. “If you’re so formidable, I’m sure I’ll recognize your name. Even if I don’t, I like to know the names of the people I’m about to turn into a pulp.”

“Drake, and you are?”

“Shit.” With wide eyes, the human stepped away from him to drop onto the stool next to him. “You weren’t supposed to get here until tomorrow. Dick said your letter-”

“He underestimated how quickly I move on my own. Am I right in assuming you’re Jason?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Jason, you should do something about that eye, or it’ll get worse. Let the others know I’m in my room. I’ll come back down for supper. Try not to get into more trouble while I’m not around to get you out.”

Even though he expected Jason to argue or prevent him from leaving, not a single word passed his lips and he remained perfectly still on his stool. That little relief allowed his body to relax as he weaved his way through the throng of people milling around with drinks in hand. His hand wrapped around the banister to head up the rickety stairs when a hand wrapped around his elbow. It tightened when he attempted to shake it off, so he turned to face the person holding onto him.

“Where are you going, darling? All the fun is down here.”

“Really?” After pretending to look around the tavern, he turned to the half-orc refusing to let go of his elbow. “It doesn’t look like it to me. From my perspective, it’s just a room full of drunkards.”

“Well, if you don’t think it’s a good time down here, I can definitely show you a good one upstairs.”

“That was the plan, until you rudely interrupted me. Now, would you let go of me so I can get a little peace? I’m starting to lose my patience.”

“As soon as I hear an invitation, I’ll gladly let you go.”

“If that’s really what you want…”

A cocky grin spread across the half-orcs face and he took a step closer to him, so Tim had to look up to meet his eyes. When he brought his hand up to brush along the side of Tim’s face, it took minimal effort to snatch it away before it touched his skin. Surprised appeared on the half-orc’s face, then his lips began to pull back in a snarl that probably frightened most he directed it at. After rolling his eyes, he quickly popped the half-orc in the mouth with enough force to send him stumbling back down the stairs and onto his ass.

“Is that clear enough for you?”

“Elven bitch!”

“Some morons never learn when to keep their mouth shut.”

“You little-”

Before he could finish his sentence, he kicked him hard enough in the head to knock him unconscious. The sudden silence of the tavern had him internally groaning as he lifted his head up to meet the eyes of every person in the room. He considered turning around to lock himself in his room and away from the crowd of people staring at him. Instead, he lifted his chin and nudged the body at his feet with the toe of his boot.

“Is someone going to collect this mess or am I going to have to do all the hard work around here?” To his surprise, Jason rose from the stool he left him on to pick up the unconscious half-orc. “Thanks. Meet me in my room when you’re done. We have things to discuss.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Fuck off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	2. Resist

They were exhausted when an unexpected attack took them by surprise as they were trying to patch their wounds and get their feet back under them. The gradual stream of blood from the cut on his upper arm picked up when the strain of holding his bow steady ruined all the work he did to stem it. While he thought they were plenty prepared to handle the challenge earlier, the sight of a lich reanimating the bandits they just killed brought doubt to mind. Based on how rough the others looked, he guessed the same uncertainties floated through their heads with every strike and spell.

He was so busy attempting to figure a way out of their current predicament, he missed the lich moving to get an advantageous position on four of his teammates. The sinister laughter that bubbled out of the lich immediately set him on edge and brought him back to the battle taking place before him. A new wave of dark magic filled the air that he recognized as frightening gaze, which had him snapping his attention to the four in the vicinity. Fear slowly washed over the three he could make out the faces of and the rigid line of Jason’s back didn’t bode well for them.

Understandably, it shocked him when Jason stepped right up in the lich’s space to deliver three crushing blows to the skeletal form. As soon as Jason landed the third blow, he let his arrow loose to embed in the side of the creature and a second right in the glowing eye socket. It whipped around to glare in his direction with the obvious intent to come after him next for daring to land a hit against them. Rather than show fear, a grin spread across his face in taunting answer to the threat meant to have him shaking in his leather boots.

“All of you will become my puppets. There’s no use fighting the inevitable. Give in, and I promise to grant you a swift end.”

In response, Cass sent a blast of energy that ripped a furious sound from it and got the battle back into full swing. When Jason finally dealt the killing blow, the two remaining bandits dropped to the ground as lifeless as they were before the lich arrived. The three that experienced the full effects of the lich’s gaze went about quietly finding a safe spot to patch their wounds and get a good night’s rest. While they led the way, he brought up the rear with an exhausted Jason crunching through the leaves and twigs next to him.

Silence remained between them, until a red blotch out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. “We should get that patched up. It’s probably a small cut, but it’s better to err on the side of caution after the day we’ve had.”

“What about you? I’m sure you’ve lost more blood than I have. That seems more concerning to me.”

“I’ll get it fixed up soon enough.” A few steps in silence later, he chanced another glance over to the man struggling to keep up. “Resisting the lich was impressive. Things would’ve been much more difficult if you gave into the fear like the others did.”

“Is that a compliment from the infamous Drake Slayer? I’m honored to know I warrant such praise. I’ll be sure to make note of it in my journal.”

“Have fun healing your own wounds.”

“Cass will help me.”

After letting out a disbelieving snort, he flashed a menacing grin Jason’s way. “We’ll see about that. She may be your twin, but I think we both would agree that she likes me best.”

“My twin and I have a bond stronger than any the two of you could have. We’ve been there for each other since we were born. I can read her like the back of my hand, and I trust her with my life in any situation. It’s an unbreakable bond.”

“So, she likes me best?”

“Those words never came out of my mouth.”

“They didn’t need to.”

Despite narrowing his eyes and taking heavier steps, Jason resisted the urge to make a biting comment back. While he knew the argument would resurface later, a little bit of revelling in a victory rarely led to any harm. A grumble from his left told him Jason had noticed but didn’t have his argument ready to bring it back up again so soon. To keep him from pouting, he playfully knocked their shoulders together while his eyes remained focused on the path ahead.

“You’re bumping into an injured man? I thought you had more class than that.”

“What gave you that impression? Plus, you said you were more concerned with my injuries than your own. There’s no reason to make a big deal out of a little bump. Stop being so dramatic, or I’ll be forced to tell your sister.”

“Why did my father insist that you come with us again?”

“I believe it had something to do with my superior tracking abilities in this terrain, which will allow you and your siblings to get to your destination faster. It also means you’ll end up in the right place even if you get off track. That’s what I’m here for.”

“If you’re such a good tracker, shouldn’t you have known the lich was there and taken us a different path?”

Rather than rise to the bait, he casually flicked his hair over his shoulder and inspected his nails for dried blood and dirt. “Do you expect me to produce miracles? I’m not a magic user. The only way I can track a creature like that is to put a Hunter’s Mark on them, but you rush in before I have time to explain that.”

“Are you calling me impulsive?”

“Impulsive, brash, impatient. Whatever word you want to use works. Obviously, you get the idea.”

“And my siblings call me an asshole.”

“Well, I certainly won’t argue with that.” A foot snapped out in front of him in an attempt to trip him up, but a little hop over it kept him from stumbling. “You’re going to have to try harder than that. If I had to rate that attempt, I’d call that pathetic.”

“Fucking rangers.”

“In your dreams, fight boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	3. Green-Eyed Epiphany

The bustle of the city felt like an assault to the ears after spending so much time in the relative quiet of the forest. If the group didn’t insist that everyone stay together, he would have happily camped outside the city for the few days they planned to be there. There were few things he hated more than the paranoia that always plagued him when he spent time in cities. The walls made him feel trapped, being surrounded by people made him feel like he was being watched constantly and the politics made talking to people tricky business. He’d much rather stay as far away from them as possible.

Despite his trepidation, he followed the others along the winding paths from one shop to the next to refill their supplies. While he wanted to stay silent and watch their surrounds, they looked to him whenever the topic of payment came up. So, he found himself haggling to get them the best price for the better part of the morning. When they finally moved on to finding a place to stay, he gladly moved to the back of the group and took up the role of lookout. A few shifty looking individuals caught his eyes, but none of them warranted more than a passing glance.

As soon as they stepped into a homey inn near the city wall, a wave of something delicious wafted over to them. The welcoming atmosphere helped him to relax a little, but his senses remained on high alert throughout the discussion with the owner and dinner. Just as he started to relax some, a loud noise sounded behind him that had him instinctively reaching for his knife. Jason standing with a wide smile on his face had him placing it back on his plate and pretending to slump down a little.

“What the hell are the two of you doing here? I thought you went to Tamaran. You’re a long way from there.”

“We finished our business and decided to come back to Gotham. We’ve been here for a few weeks now. What are you doing here?” The woman speaking wore armor unlike anything he’d ever seen with ornate decorations and intricate carvings. Her long red hair seemed to flow around her despite their not being any source to create such an effect and her eyes glowed a vibrant green. She smiled bright enough to light the room, capturing the attention of many that had been minding their own business. “It’s so good to see you again. I thought we would be apart for much longer.”

“So did I, and the feeling is mutual.”

An uncomfortable feeling pooled in his gut as he watched the two share a tight embrace that turned into a group hug when the red head’s companion joined in. When they continued to cling tightly to each other, he turned his gaze away in the hopes the building feeling would dissipate. Unfortunately, it kept growing to the point that it started to writhe and claw like a living thing trying to get out. Without drawing too much attention to himself, he slipped away from the table and went to the room he’d be sharing with Damian.

The instant he sank into the mattress he started to dissect the feeling beginning to finally fade away. It’d been a long time since he last experienced jealousy demanding attention from someone that he had no hope of getting. Disregarding their rocky first meeting, they rarely spoke to each other unless the situation demanded it. There was no way Jason viewed him in the same manner-or would ever see him in such a way. For the sake of their relationship and the group, burying the sudden epiphany needed to happen. The green-eyed monster never boded well.

After letting out a heavy sigh, he stood back up to retrieve his pack and bow from the corner of the room. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a chance to sit down and properly take care of his bow. There’d been enough time between settling down for the evening and sleep to get a quick treatment session in, but not long enough for a thorough inspection and repair. It would give him the perfect distraction from what happened downstairs since he could let his mind go blank and trust his fingers to do the work.

A knock on his door interrupted him before he could get started, so he set his bow carefully on the bed to answer. While he didn’t particularly want to talk to anyone, he knew not answering the door would likely end in disaster. So, he pulled the door wide enough to poke his head out of the crack, then opened it a little wider when he saw Cass on the other side. When she motioned toward the room, he stepped out of the way and shut the door behind her.

“Sorry. I was going to clean it. Let me get that out of your way.” He placed the bow back in the corner and shoved his pack under the bed to give Cass a space to sit while he leaned against the wall. “Did you need to talk about something?”

“My brother doesn’t trust people easily.”

“Can’t say that surprises me. I’m not sure why you felt the need to tell me that, but I appreciate the confirmation.”

“The two of you seem to be growing… close. I didn’t want you to think he takes your friendship for granted.”

He paused for a few extra seconds to inspect Cass’s face for some other meaning, but she seemed completely genuine in her intentions. “There’s no need to worry about that. Your brother’s nice and I enjoy spending time with all of you, but this is a job. I’m here to make sure all of you get to your destination alive. That comes first.”

“This won’t always be a job.”

“No, I’ll go on to the next one.”

“I’m sure the others would agree with me when I say we’d like you stick around when we get to Blüdhaven. You… fit.”

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll be sure keep that in mind.”

“Be sure you do.” Before she left, Cass took his face between her hands and pressed a kiss to his forward head that left a warm tingle against his skin. “May you rest peacefully. Good night, Drake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	4. Hiding an Injury

“Does anyone have a potion?” To hide his worry, a sharp edge laced through Dick’s words to give him a commanding air. “It doesn’t matter what kind. We can heal him more when we settle down for the night.”

Despite the throbbing in his side, he removed the last superior healing potion out of his bag and tossed it to Dick. Color slowly returned to Damian’s face as the potion helped clear up the claw marks crisscrossing his chest until they were bright pink lines marring tan skin. Once Dick was sure his brother wouldn’t die on them, he helped him to his feet and let him lean most of his weight on him. The others followed the silent directive to begin picking their way through the thick underbrush surrounding the clearing, so they could find somewhere to rest.

While his injury slowed his progress significantly, the others didn’t bother to check on him bringing up the rear. His habit of scouting the area for useful resources and potential side paths meant they didn’t find it out of the ordinary for him to trail behind or disappear ahead. It allowed him to go at his own pace with his hand clamped tightly to his side to stem the blood pouring out of the four slashes without having to worry about questions or concern. No one bothered him about his feet dragging across the ground or the slight sway to his step.

Out of curiosity, he pulled his hand away from his side for a moment to get an idea of the damage he’d need patched up when they settled down for the night. Red immediately greeted him when his hand came into view and the previously dark green of his light armor looked dark black from the blood staining the leather. Based on the clean cuts of the material, the claws ripped right through it without any sort of resistance. He might as well have worn his tunic with how much good his armor did against the creature. Despite the pain it caused, he pressed his hand tightly against his side once again.

His feet felt like lead ingots weighing him every time he took another step and it became increasingly difficult to tell where his companies had stepped. When his vision began to blur into a swirl of greens and browns, he leaned heavily against a tree to wait for it to return. With the distraction of tracking his group’s footprints gone, the burning pain in his side moved to the forefront on his mind. Something about the burning felt oddly familiar and like it should be cause for concern, but he couldn’t remember why. Maybe, all he needed was a short rest to get his strength back up and he’d be able to remember.

Somehow, he ended up on the ground pressed against the tree to keep from ending up flat on the ground. A harsh cough forced its way out of his chest causing the coppery taste of blood to fill his mouth and slide down his chin. The hand he attempted to bring up to wipe away the sticky liquid barely did more than twitch against his thigh. Now that he thought about it, he hardly felt any sensation in his body except for the throbbing from his side. His mind felt a million miles away as the world around him slipped into a swirling mass of colors and sounds that couldn’t reach him.

“Drake? Drake!” His body shook violently enough that he forced his eyes open to see Jason leaning into his space. “What the fuck were you thinking? Were you planning on telling us about this after you died?”

“It’s fine. Damian needed the healing more than I did.”

“You have zero self-preservation instincts.”

“I did perfectly fine on my own, or did you forget I’ve been doing this a lot longer than any of you have?”

“That doesn’t make you invincible.”

The snort of disbelief he let out sent a splatter of blood across Jason’s face. “I’m plenty aware that I’m not invincible. I don’t need you to remind me. You would do well to remember that not all of us fear death the way you humans do. I’ll gladly accept my fate when that day comes.”

“That doesn’t mean you do something stupid like hide an easy to heal injury. What would people say if the Drake Slayer died from idiocy.”

“I wouldn’t give a damn. I’d be dead.”

“You’re so fucking stubborn.” Despite his hard words, Jason used gentle hands and slow movements to help him to his feet. “Camp isn’t far from here. Cass will be able to heal that up in no time, then you’ll get a full night’s rest. I’ll be the one that kills you if you try to stay up for a watch.”

“Well, I definitely wouldn’t want that to be the way I go. That’d be embarrassing.”

“Why do I even try?”

“Fuck if I know.”

When Jason forced him to take his first step, he nearly ended up dragging both of them down when his foot caught on a tree root. “You’re really trying to get yourself killed.”

“I’ve never been so betrayed in my life. I grew up in the forest. This is my favorite terrain. The thing I love the most are all the tall tree towering above me. They’re so much nicer than people and they’ve betrayed me. What did I do to deserve this?”

“How much blood have you lost?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

“How much is in my body.”

“Right now, not nearly enough. Can you stand on your own for a second?”

“Of course.”

“Love the confidence.” Unexpectedly, Jason dropped to a kneel in front of him, then motioned for him to step closer and grabbed him around the thighs as he stood. His arms instinctively wrapped around Jason’s neck to keep from tipping backwards causing his side to twinge in protest. “Hang on tight. We found a clearing a little ways ahead that’s perfect for the night. They’ll have the packs set out by the time we get there, so Cass can patch you up and you can get some sleep right away.”

“Thanks for looking out for me, Jay.”

“You’re welcome, Drake. Next time, don’t disappear on us.”

“Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	5. Fake-Out Make-Out

“This plan is utterly ridiculous. You honestly think cozying up to some high society nobles is going to get us the passage we need? It’d be easier to sneak into the place to take care of business and ask for forgiveness later. If this doesn’t work, they’ll be set on high alert.”

As expected, Dick flashed a bright grin that typically persuaded anyone he directed it at to agree with whatever he said. “Trust me, I’ve done this before. We’ll get a relaxing night and come out of it with the blessing of every person attending. It’ll be easy.”

“We have very different ideas of what constitutes a relaxing night. I’d much rather be anywhere else-perhaps the belly of a dragon. Would anyone else care to join me?”

“Maybe relaxing wasn’t the right word, but it’ll be fun. I’ve already figured out how to get in there without any suspicion.” The excitement in his eyes immediately put Tim on edge as the memories of his past ideas flashed through his mind. “It’ll require a little bit of acting from everyone. Who wants to know their role?”

“Just get it over with.”

“Fine, ruin my fun. You and Jason will be posing as a married couple, so you’ll have to pretend to get along for longer than five seconds. Do you think you can handle that?”

“Of course, provided I’m given enough alcohol ahead of time.”

“No drinking.”

“Now who’s the one ruining the fun?”

Even though he said nothing, the amusement in Jason’s eyes made it clear he found the whole situation as ridiculous as he did and had zero plans to take it seriously. With any luck, that meant he’d be amiable to finding a corner to hide in while the other attempted to sweet talk their way into the crypt. If he pushed enough buttons, he might even be able to convince him to do a little digging into the host’s affairs. At the very least, that would mean coming away with blackmail material to use against them in return for crypt access.

When they arrived at the party that night, finding a corner to hide away in was the first thing the two of them did. He didn’t even have to ask Jason to avoid the crowd of people milling around the large ballroom in their fancy clothing. His hand pressed comfortingly into his lower back, like an anchor keeping him steady in the tumultuous environment. Few people bothered to look their way, especially when Jason dipped his head down to hover inches away from his own face in what probably appeared to be an extremely intimate manner.

“What are the odds Dick notices if we ditch out the balcony?”

“High. He’s been watching the doors the entire time we’ve been here. I don’t think we’re the only ones he’s concerned about making an early exit.”

“That means he’s not watching the side door.”

Slowly, he let his eyes wander over to the door Jason made a small motion toward. “It is likely he wouldn’t notice us going through there, but that doesn’t mean we would go unnoticed.”

“We can deal with that if it comes to it.”

“Aren’t I normally the one that suggest we do this kind of thing?”

“What can I say? You’re rubbing off on me.”

He rolled his eyes at Jason, then tipped forward to lean heavily against him in a false display of drunkenness. Jason quickly caught on to his plan and slid the hand on his back to his hip so he could more easily take his weight as they walked. His feet dragged ever so slightly behind him and he let his head tip lazily around until it came to rest against Jason’s side. While it reduced his view of the room, no one he saw took more than a passing glance at him as they walked by.

Once they were through the door, he checked the hallway for other people, then stood up straight when he found it to be empty. They walked quietly down the long corridor until they reached a set of stairs that led them to a floor full of heavy oak doors. After picking a few locks, they finally found one of the rooms they were actually interested in. Between the two of them, they gathered enough evidence on Lord Braxton to strong arm their way into the crypt.

“Which one next?” Before he could say anything, the sound of laughter coming from the stairs caught their attention. “Shit!”

As the first few people reached the landing, he pushed Jason against the wall and pressed their lips together. Despite his surprise, Jason quickly caught onto the plan. His hands wrapped around his waist to pull their bodies closer together and he tipped his head to the side for a better angle. Without his face in the way, he knew Jason would be able to keep tabs on the people moving around them by cracking an eye.

When the sound eventually dissipated, they broke apart from each other. “That was a close one. We should go before anyone questions why we’re here.”

“Good idea.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“Aren’t you normally coming up with the crazy plans that get us into these types of situations in the first place? I’m pretty sure I remember at least a couple of times that was the case.”

“I think your memory is failing you in your old age.”

The thudding of heavy footsteps against the stairs alerted them to a new set of drunken guests stumbling up to their room. Instead of pressing Jason into the wall again, Jason flipped them around, so Drake was the one with his back molded to the stone. His head dipped down to look like they were kissing, but their lips remained hovering inches apart. Unlike the previous group, someone spotted them in a seemingly intimate embrace and let out a loud wolf whistle.

“Couldn’t even wait to get to a room! Make sure you get in there, unless you want to put on a show!”

Once the loud group disappeared, Jason pulled back at the same time he ran a hand through his mussed hair. “We should really get out of here now.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	6. Last Words Confession

The battle felt like a never-ending tempest throwing them around without any care for how blooded up and broken they got. A mixture of dirt, sweat and blood caked the side of his face from when he got batted into a tree and slammed into the ground beneath it. The slash on his thigh wouldn’t stop bleeding as he forced himself to move into more advantageous positions. Despite all the pain, he wouldn’t allow himself to go unconscious and leave his friends to fight without him.

 After watching Steph take a heavy hit to the back, he loosed an arrow at the monstrous creature looming over her prone body. Glowing red eyes snapped over to him and it released a demonic hiss that rattled out of the strange mouth warping its face. It showed him several rows of pointed teeth when it unhinged its jaw to reveal a flicking tongue and a dark abyss where its throat led to its stomach. His next arrow slammed into the back of the throat, then caused the beast convulsed when the electricity sparked off it.

A tortured howl got cut short as another spark of electricity coursed through it from the arrow still lodged in it. His eyes went wide in surprised as it reached a clawed hand in its mouth to remove the arrow. It tossed the arrow to the ground and stomped on it with one of the many clawed feet sewn onto the bulbous body. Horror iced his veins when it suddenly charged at him with its jaw ready to clamp down on him the instant it reached him. Right before it got to him, something heavy slammed into his side sending him onto his injured leg.

“Jason!” The fear lacing Dick’s voice pulled his attention back to the spot he’d just been rooted to and found Jason in the jaws of the beast.

Red filled his vision as he sprang to his feet and grabbed Jason’s sword off the ground before leaping onto its back. He plunged the sword between two of the armor plates on its back, until it collapsed on the ground with a dying gurgle. After twisting the metal deeper into it just to be sure it wouldn’t get back up, he removed it from the beast and hopped off the back. Black, sludge-like blood slowly pooled beneath it, so he quickly dragged Jason’s limp body away before it could touch him.

“Jason?” He cradled Jason’s head carefully in his lap and tried to keep himself under control as he waited for a response. “I need you to open your eyes. Come on, Jason!”

Blue-green irises slowly revealed, but he could see the struggle to keep them open and the glaze of pain washed over them. “Did we win?”

“Yes, we did. I just need you to hold on a little longer so Cass can heal you up.”

“I’m tired.”

“I know you are, but you can’t go to sleep yet. Remember the rule.”

“Need to tell you something.”

“What’s that?”

“I…” A painful cough caused a thick wad of blood to paint Jason’s lips and slid down his chin. “I’m a coward.”

“Coward isn’t the word I’d use. Stupid would be more accurate. What were you thinking?”

“Didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“How many times do I have to tell you I can handle it? I don’t want you to trade your life for mine.”

“I know, but I couldn’t watch you die.”

Tim let out a shaky breath and fought the urge to look over his shoulder to see if they others were done handling the last of the beasts. “And you think I want to watch you die?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“Stop being sorry. Don’t die on me. Understood?”

“I love you.”

“You can’t say that and just…” The rest of the sentence stuck in his throat as he stared into vacant eyes.

When a hand landed comfortingly on his shoulder, he immediately shrugged it off with his head still bent down over Jason’s unmoving body. He brushed the stray strands of hair that stuck to his forehead back the way he typically kept it when he wasn’t in the middle of a fight. A heavy weight settled in the middle of his chest as his took in the pallor setting into his skin because of the blood loss. Those blue-green eyes continued to bore into his own, so he slid them closed like that would allow him to pretend he just slept in his arms.

“Tim, you need to move so Cass can try to-”

“It won’t work. He’s gone.”

“Cass can-”

“It won’t work. You’d need a group of clerics to get him back now.”

“We can’t know until we’ve tried.”

Despite wanting to argue, he held his tongue as he gently placed Jason on the ground and stood to step away from his body. “I’ve lived longer than your grandfather. I’m more familiar with death than you could ever know. We need to get him to a church before we’re too late. This will waste precious time that he doesn’t have.”

“We’re miles away from the closest town. It’s for the best we try this now.”

“We’d get their quicker if we left sooner rather than later. The city we’re heading to has a Temple of Sarenrae. We need to get him there immediately.”

“That’s still several days journey away. They’ll be no hope for him by then. It won’t take Cass long to cast revivify. We’ll know soon enough if it’ll work.”

“This is a waste. We need to pack our things and get moving. I’m telling you it’s the only way! Your brother is gone right now. It’ll take holy intervention to get him back. The longer you wait, the less inclined the gods are to step in.” While he stood several inches shorter than Dick, the other took a step back when he moved to get in his face. “This is not an easy fix. A simple revivify won’t be enough. He’s not on the brink. He’s gone! He’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	7. Grief

The engravings on the door were ingrained on his eyelids, so he saw them even when he shut them to give them a break. While he recognized some of the symbols, most of them were well beyond his basic understanding of the stories of Sarenrae. Not that he cared enough to figure out what any of them meant because his mind refused to focus on anything but what lie beyond it. After ushering them into the room, the priests hadn't returned to update them on what was happening on the other side.

“We should find somewhere to sleep for the night. It doesn't seem like we'll be getting any answers today.”

Despite some protesting, the others rose from their various spots around the room and headed for the other door. A couple passed in front of him on their way, but he refused to let that draw his attention away. It didn’t matter that his clothes were stiff from dried blood or that it still stained his hands a dark red. There was no doubt he looked a mess-and felt a mess-but he wouldn’t be leaving until the priest returned with news. He wouldn’t give up on Jason, not after what he did.

“Tim, we’re leaving.” While Damian’s tone left no room for argument, he didn’t move from his position against the wall. “Don’t make me drag you out of here. I’m no in the mood.”

“Shut up. No one asked for your intervention. I’ll stay here if I damn well please.”

“I’m pretty sure we includes you, so get your ass up or I’ll do it for you.”

“Are you sure you want to start something? We all know how well that went for you last time.”

A low growl was all the warning he got before Damian launched at him with barely contained rage in his eyes. Before he could land a hit, he rolled out of the way of the punch and used Damian’s forward momentum against him. One hand pressed into the back of Damian’s head to keep it pinned to the wall, then used the other to twist an arm behind his back. After struggling against his hold for a few seconds, another growl rumbled out of Damian’s chest.

“What now? Are you going to shift in a temple? I highly doubt the priests would take kindly to that.”

“It almost sounds like you want me to rip your throat out.”

“It’s laughable you think shifting would give you the upper hand. I’ve been doing this much longer than you have. So, it doesn’t matter that you’re a powerful little princeling because I have years of experience on you. Fighting you would be a waste of my time, but you’re more than happy to try.”

A gentle hand landed on his shoulder, then a stern voice spoke near his ear. “This is not the time nor the place for this type of conversation. If the two of you wish to do something so foolish, you’ll have to wait for some other time. All our emotions are too high right now to be making such rash decisions. This will all be discussed at a later time. Now, Damian, let’s go.”

As the hand slipped away from his shoulder, he released his hold on Damian’s head and arm, then took a step to the side. He gave a grateful nod to Cass for her interference, which earned him a tried smile of acknowledgement. Despite his earlier protests, Damian didn’t pull away when Cass held his elbow to lead him out of the room. He did glance back at Tim one last time before exiting with a scowl twisting up the corners of his mouth.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with it? You could use a bath, some food and a good night’s rest. They’ll send word if anything happens.”

“I’m fine where I am, Dick.”

After tightly pursing his lips, Dick let out a sigh of frustration and looked down to pull something out of the bag of holding. “Please, get yourself cleaned up. You’re still… He wouldn’t want that.”

“I doubt he wanted to die either but look what happened.”

“Stop blaming yourself. He made a choice.”

“It was a stupid one.” While he did his best to hide it, the flinch at his words caused Dick’s face to spasm and he stood a little stiffer. “What? Not going to argue that? We both know it was a stupid decision. He shouldn’t have pushed me out of the way. Now we’re left to deal with the consequences of his actions.”

“The decision to save you was his to make. We should respect that.”

“Do you? Or do you blame me for getting your little brother killed?” When silence met his question, a smile made its way onto his face. “That’s what I thought. My job was to get you and your family through this safely, which means I’ve failed because your brother made a split-second decision to play the hero. We’re the ones that have to live with that decision and I’m the one that will take the blame for it.”

“What do you think we’re doing here? There’s still a chance-”

“Do you honestly believe there’s anything they can do? I’m sure they’ll try everything they can possibly think of that might work, but it’s been too long. If they haven’t revived him yet, there’s little hope. I’m sure they’ll try everything they can, but I’ve been in this position before and I know exactly what it means.”

“Then what’s the point of waiting around?”

“Someone should be here when they finish. I’ll bring the news once they’re done, then I’ll be on my way.”

“You’re not going to stay?”

“Like you said, what’s the point of waiting around. We’ve reached our destination. That was the agreement.”

Conflicting emotions rippled across Dick’s face, then it turned into a blank slate. “You should at least tell everyone goodbye before you leave.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.”

“Good.”

The heavy metal door swung shut behind him blocking the sounds of his boots clicking against the stone floor in anger. Any other day, he would have followed after him to make amends and get him to cool down. Today he slumped against the wall and slid down it with his head tipped back to look at the intricate ceiling above them. Colored glass twinkling in the moonlight while carvings along the sloping arches that swirled together at the top glowed for some magical reason.

“I know I’ve never put much stock in higher powers, but I don’t have anywhere else to turn. Please, heal him. If you can’t do that, show me what I can do. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring him back. Anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	8. Search

Warmth washed over him as he stepped into the small tavern the alchemist in town suggested he stop in if he wanted a drink or a place to stay for the night. Like most small towns, few people hung around a bar in the middle of the afternoon when there was work to be done. The other two in the establishment were huddled in a corner with something spread between them that they were bent so far over their noses were practically touching it. The emptiness left him plenty of room at the bar to decide where he wanted to settle down for some drinking.

“Can I get you something?” A gruff voice behind the bar directed his attention to a stocky dwarf in the middle of washing out a tankard.

“An ale, and a room-if you’ve got a free one.”

“It’ll be ten gold for the night.”

“Here.” He slid the gold over to him, then leaned back in his chair while he watched him finish cleaning the tankard. “Are things usually this quiet around here or is it the dead season?”

“It’s a pretty quiet place most of the year. The only time we get much traffic is during high travel periods. We’re a day’s travel away for a few cities, so groups will end up stopping for the night on there way to some other place.”

“Do people often stop by on their way back?”

“On occasion. It depends on why they’re traveling. Some are merchants traveling from one city to the next for their next fortune, others visiting relatives or going to festivals, a few are searching for something they don’t know how to find. What are you looking for?”

“Who said I was looking for anything? I’m simply a weary traveler passing through.”

The dwarf behind the bar raised an impatient eyebrow at him as he placed his drink on the bar in front of him. “If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll fuck off. You just look like someone searching for something and hasn’t found it yet.”

“Is that supposed to be a nice way of telling me I look like shit and it’s a good thing I booked a room for the night? I can’t say that’s the worst way I’ve heard it, but it definitely isn’t the nicest.”

“It won’t be my problem if you end up dead in the street from exhaustion. Normally, when people are looking for something and come to a bar like this, they’re looking to dig information out of people.”

“I’m guessing they start with you and work their way through all your patrons. That does make sense, but I doubt you’ll have the kind of information I’m looking for. It just so happens I noticed this lovely establishment as I was passing through on my way to a city nearby-where I’ll be let down for the fifth time. Maybe, that’s why I look like shit.”

“What makes you think I won’t be able to help? We have all sorts pass through here, like yourself.”

“The people with the information I need don’t typically spend time in establishments like this and if they did, I doubt they make a habit of discussing such a topic. It’s a bit of a… sensitive issue. Although, I do appreciate the offered help.”

“Well, that sounds a bit shady, but I’m not one to pry.” While he appreciated the bit of humor, the emotional drain on his body from months of travel with no results outweighed the laughter. “How about we talk about something else? That might help take your mind off things.”

“Sure. I’ve got nothing better to do and it doesn’t look like the evening crowd has rolled in yet.”

“Can I get a name?”

“Tim. You can call me Tim. What about you?”

“Kardek. That’s a strange name for an elf.”

He responded with a sly grin, then took a long swig of his ale to hold the suspense a little long. “Is that so? Can’t say I ever noticed. How long have you worked at this tavern? It sounds like you’re used to dealing with information.”

“Too long. I used to work as a bodyguard for a lord in one of the nearby cities, but I got bored of the monotony and decided to switch things up. I spent so long in the city I thought the change of scenery would do me good. Didn’t take me long to figure out you meet the same type of people here as in the city.”

“As long as it worked out for you, I suppose that’s a win.”

“What about you? What are you in the business of?”

“Killing mostly.” A hint of surprise and fear flashed in the dwarf’s eyes, but he didn’t take a step back or show signs of planning an escape route. “I earned a bit of a name for myself killing a certain type of creature, but there’s only so far that can take you. Besides that, it’s been a lot of contract work.”

“I get the feeling that has something to do with why you’re here. Funny though, a group came through not long ago saying they were searching for a missing member that made their name the way you did. Drake, I think they called him.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s hard to forget! This isn’t the type of place nobility stop to rest in. All four of the Wayne siblings were here asking for him. What were their names again? Dick, Damian, Cass and… My old age is starting to get to me. He was a tall fellow-taller than all the rest-with the same dark hair except for a strange white streak in it. He was quieter than the others and seemed a bit on edge.”

“Jason?”

“Oh, yes! That’s what it was. Do you know them?”

Without hesitation, he let a lie slip through his lips. “We’ve met a few times, but it’s been ages since I last saw them.”

“Might be a good time to catch up them. Maybe you’ll put your heads together and find what both of you are looking for.”

“We just might.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


	9. Injury

“How did this happen?” While her words sounded kindly, the old halfling pressed harder than necessary against the wound on his shoulder. “I thought we agreed you’d stop getting into trouble on your own. It’s going to get you killed and I want no part in that. If you don’t pull your head out of your ass, I’m going to be forced to do something about it.”

“Am I supposed to just let an owlbear tear me apart?”

“That wouldn’t be a problem if you stopped running around in the woods. There aren’t any owlbears in the city. Why don’t you stick around for a few days to get some rest and figure out what to do next? You know there’s always a room for you here.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I received some news that I need to act on sooner rather than later. I’ll be leaving as soon as the sun rises.”

“What news is so important that you can’t even take time to heal properly?”

“Something that could mean I’ve been wasting my time looking for answers that I didn’t need. It sounded too good to be true, but I need to see for myself whether that’s the case or not. It should only take a few days. I’ll be back soon, and you can badger me all you want about getting some rest. Is that acceptable?”

A disapproving hum told him she wasn’t happy with his decision, but she had no plans of arguing about it any longer. “Make sure to eat something before you leave. You’re starting to get too skinny again. Although, none of those monsters out there will want to eat you if you’re nothing but skin and bone. Oh, there’s also a letter for you. You should open that before you go.”

“A letter?”

“Some people came asking about you. Obviously, I gave them the run around at first, but they proved themselves to be trustworthy. After I told them you were off adventuring, they wrote the letter and asked me to give it to you when you returned.”

“Who earned your trust enough to talk?”

“One of your old party members. He had quite a way with words. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he came from wealth. The introduction was a bit much, but he toned it down to a tolerable level after that.”

“When did they leave?” His attempt to keep his voice under control was ruined when the pain from his side caused him to let his mask slip. “Could you be a little gentler?”

“Idiots that wander the forest alone don’t get to complain about their treatment.”

“You still haven’t answered my questioned.”

“Brat.” The next stab in his side came more aggressively than the previous hooks of the needle through his tender skin. “They left this morning. I think they were heading to Gotham, but I’m sure they told you their plans in that letter. I’m not your paid secretary keeping track of where everyone goes for you.”

“No, you’re just my nurse.”

“Say something like that again and you’ll find yourself sleeping in the gutter instead of one of the fluffy beds upstairs.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

After giving him a disapproving look, Kithlyse wrapped up his torso with a thick bandage that he knew would cause his skin to itch later. “I don’t want to know about it. You’re as good as you’re going to get. Now, get off your ass. I’ve got important this to do and I don’t trust you to keep your nose out of my business.”

“Your never-ending trust in me always makes me feel so special.”

“You’re full of shit and we both know it.”

“I’m starting to think you don’t like me.”

Instead of throwing out a snappy response, she casually shrugged her shoulders as she turned to exit the office. At a slightly slower pace, he followed her out of the room to the noisy bar he made his home base after stumbling in nearly a year ago. While he hadn’t meant to, they’d grown closer to each other with each visit, until he eventually broke down and told her the truth. After spilling his guts, Kithlyse did her best to act as the voice of reason every time he returned from another useless trip.

“Here.” A familiar black seal depicting a bat with its wings spread wide greeted him as he took the sturdy envelope from her. “I’ll have someone bring you something to eat while you read that. I can’t promise it’ll be more than some leftovers from what they made yesterday, but I’m sure it’ll be better than what you’ve been eating.”

“Did you forget I lived on my own in the forest for years? I’m an excellent hunter.”

“Whatever you say. Go take a seat before you fall over.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Due to his side, he didn’t duck out of the way of the towel she snapped at him like he normally would, which brought a satisfied grin to Kithlyse’s face. An eye roll later, his focus shifted to finding a spot in the busy tavern he’d be able to get some privacy-or a semblance of it. A shadowed spot in the far corner presented the most viable option, so he made his way other to it with a hitch in his step. The weight of the letter grew heavier the closer he got to the table, until he dropped heavily into the wooden chair with it weighing down his pocket.

“Fuck.” After holding his breath for a touch too long, he released a gust of air and took deep breath to calm himself. “Screw it.”

His dagger made quick work of slicing through the wax keeping the envelope shut allowing him to remove the folded parchment from inside. The rough texture against his fingers felt almost unfamiliar after spending months traveling from one place to the next speaking to people. There’d been no one to write letters to or any reason to keep notes on what he found along the way because he didn’t find anything. If what he heard from Kardek was to be believed, this letter might give him what he’d been looking for.

_Drake,_

_I hope this letter finds you in good health. I know we left things off on a sour note, but the reason for your leaving has been rectified. It would be unwise for me to say more in this letter. Even if I could, this is a conversation that needs to be had in person. Please, come back to Gotham as soon as possible._

_There’s always been a room waiting for you here. We’ve missed you greatly since you left. We have a lot of catching up to do._

_Hope to see you soon,_

_Dick_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated. You can find me on Tumblr ([SociallyAwkwardFoxWriter](http://sociallyawkwardfoxwriter.tumblr.com/)).


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